Bruce McPherson faces November runoff in Board of Supervisor's 5th District race

(Updated 1:25 a.m.) SANTA CRUZ - Bruce McPherson's majority in early vote tallies evaporated meaning the former Secretary of State will face San Lorenzo Valley contractor Eric Hammer in a runoff for the 5th District County supervisor seat in November.

Running in the most expensive supervisor's race in the county, McPherson slipped to just less than 50 percent as the final votes were counted early Wednesday morning. Hammer inched upward to capture 38 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting, according to the county Election Department. Candidates need more than 50 percent of the vote to win, or the top two candidates proceed to the November general election. Two other supervisorial races ended Wednesday with wins for incumbent John Leopold in the 1st District and Santa Cruz Police Department crime analyst Zach Friend in the 2nd District.

"I would prefer to win it outright with a majority of the votes tonight," McPherson said in a TV interview Tuesday. "I think we have a good shot at it," but he said he was prepared to continue his campaign.

Lompico County Water Board Member Bill Smallman had 6 percent of the vote. Susan Weber, who is not actively running but was on the ballot, also had 5.5 percent.

McPherson had a decorated career in state politics, serving more than a decade in the Legislature and three years as Secretary of State. He remained active in civic endeavors, and shocked many when he said he would seek a seat on the county board.

McPherson could not be immediately reached, but Hammer had been hopeful McPherson would fall below 50 percent.

"From what I'm being told from that initial count, the fact that there isn't a larger margin is really surprising," Hammer said during an election night party Tuesday at Don Quixote's International Music Hall in Felton. "I would be ecstatic if I could get into a runoff."

McPherson racked up astonishing fundraising numbers - $120,000 this year, a record for a supervisor's race - but he didn't rest on his laurels. Instead, McPherson was a near-daily presence on streets, door-knocking throughout the county once and nearly completing a second lap, he said.

Hammer acknowledged an uphill fight, but said he was proud of his campaign, which tilted toward populism as he pitched himself to district residents as one of their own. But a rumored anti-McPherson campaign organized by top county Democrats - McPherson kept $20,000 in the bank to counter late attacks - never materialized.

In fact, some well-known Democrats stayed on the sidelines in the race. Others, such as Santa Cruz City Councilmember Hilary Bryant, backed the Republican.

Shara Sheard, a Scotts Valley PTA president at Brook Knoll Elementary, said she voted for McPherson because he walked with her in support of school parcel tax Measure K, which she championed.

"He walked precincts with us, even though he had his own campaign to be running. He gave up his time and effort," Sheard said.

Stephanie Young, also of Scotts Valley, said she is a Democrat who crossed party lines to vote for McPherson.

"He has the most experience. I thought he ran a really good campaign, he even came to our house," Young said.